The present invention concerns generally the field of crop harvesting apparatus. Commonly known crop harvesting combines include a cutting bar mechanism and reel which cut the crop and throw it onto a conveyor system where it is fed into a combine for threshing and separation from the stalks.
Well known manufacturers of such combines include Massey Ferguson, John Deere and International Havester. Examples of such harvesting apparatus may be seen in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.
______________________________________ 1,849,132 3,514,928 2,622,385 3,521,710 2,870,594 3,536,140 3,188,786 3,552,398 3,193,995 4,244,165 3,347,031 4,322,940 3,511,038 ______________________________________
U.S. Pat. No. 2,622,385 discloses a string bean picking machine in which the vines of string beans are drawn upwardly by a vacuum source. A pair of seats are provided on each side of the vacuum source so that an individual may hand pick the beans off the vine and drop them onto a conveyor which feeds into a bagging orifice.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,928 discloses a bean harvesting machine in which a picking reel, using metal fingers, raises the beans off the ground and separates them from the vine where they are lofted onto a moving conveyor.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,193,995 describes a combine in which the grain is cut by means of cutting blades and blown into a milling machine. The blower directs streams of air towards the grain head receiving mouths which urges the grain heads against the sickle bar.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,870,594 discloses a nut gatherer in which leaves and debris are blown away from the area in front of the device prior to the nuts being gathered by means of a rotating picking wheel. The picking wheel rotates counterclockwise so as to impel nuts on the ground into a conveyor hopper and thus upward into the storage area.
A continuing problem exists however, in that such harvesting apparatus typically leave a fairly substantial amount of stubble and residue unharvested. This material must be plowed back into the ground.
Accordingly, it is an advantage of the present invention to provide a harvesting apparatus which utilizes a vacuum to raise the crop off the ground, thereby harvesting a substantially larger amount of crop, leaving substantially less stubble and residue after harvesting.